Behind the Knife - Chef Toolboxes Tell All

To The Test: The Beater Blade: No Spatula Necessary

Before we get going, I want to announce that we’re finally testing the Twitter contest waters. Follow us @BehindTheKnife and tweet:

RT BehindTheKnife: Win a Paula_Deen hoecake pan! Follow @BehindTheKnife & RT by 11/23 #contest #PaulaDeen #bacon http://bit.ly/2b4FcY

You’ll be entered to win a 11-inch Hoecake Pan made of Porcelain Enamel Cast Iron. This thing weighs a ton.

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Okay, now to the business at hand.

What’s the one kitchen tool that couldn’t be pried from your cold dead hands? For me, it’s probably my KitchenAid stand mixer. This one’s my third. The first was a gift from an ex, and I sold it on eBay to excise the bad karma and promptly used the proceeds to buy another, which I then sold when I moved 1000 miles away.

I knew I’d buy another, and that it would be the next step up, a Professional stand mixer with a 6-quart bowl in sleek chrome. Several neighbors drooled when they saw it.

But the paddle attachment just didn’t line up with the sides of the bowl, and I used the rubber spatula more often than I wanted to.

I had my eye on the Beater Blade for awhile, a flat beater with ‘wings’ that automatically scrape the bowl. I set out to test both: the standard version, and the Beater Blade Pro, which is sturdier for professional use. Chip Sheen of Sous Vide iPhone fame said that several chefs at Charleston Place use the Beater Blade Pro in the kitchen and they love it.

First up, the standard Beater Blade. I used it to make a batch of Martha Stewart’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies, and though it squeaked a little in the beginning, the bowl was nicely scraped throughout. The rubber spatula stayed in the drawer.

I used the professional version to make ATF Gingerbread in Melissa Gray’s new book All Cakes Considered. The butter and sugar incorporated more quickly than usual, and the spatula wasn’t needed until I had to gently incorporate the chopped crystallized ginger into the batter.

I could have used a wooden spoon to fold the ginger into the batter, but I wouldn’t want the spatula to feel unloved since the Beater Blade worked so well, though I don’t think it’ll reach the point of my Pastry Pal potato masher. In fact, since Thanksgiving is next week, today a neighbor asked if he could borrow a potato masher.

My eyes grew wide as I growled, “No one will EVER borrow my potato masher again!”

Startled, he took a step back. Of course then, I had to explain.

Okay, so I admit that I have TWO tools that won’t be wrested from my cold dead grip. I have the feeling the list will only continue to grow. After all, how do you pick a favorite child?